Back to the end of Ming Dynasty to be a warlord

Chapter 458 Returning to the South
The situation in Shandong is quite stable, the Qing army is powerless to advance, and it is impossible for Yang Chao to fight to the north of Zhili to stretch the front line too long, so both sides are actually at their limits.

After a month of sitting in town, Yang Chao found that he could leave. There were military generals Li Wuliu, Wang Pu and Zhao Kang here, and a group of civil servants were mobilized from Jiangnan, and a large number of Shandong civil officials were retained. It should be said Shandong is foolproof and will soon be on the right track.

The Jiangnan area was also considered stable. King Sanshun was repelled by Yang Chao. Even if he managed to escape, he would lose at least half of his soldiers and horses. It can be said that he suffered heavy losses and was unable to attack at all. Therefore, Hong Chengchou has not taken any action during this period.

However, the Qing army in Zhejiang fled to Fujian. After occupying the whole of Fujian, they continued to go south and captured the whole of Guangdong. The little emperor Zhu Cihuan once again took advantage of his good at running away and went to Guangxi.

After receiving Yang Chao's permission, many men immediately went south to occupy the whole of Zhejiang, but the damage to the northern and southern provinces of Zhejiang by the Qing army was terrible, and many men couldn't help but want to go south to Fujian to settle accounts with those prostitutes.

But Yang Chao didn't have any troops to support him, especially when Hong Chengchou, a jackal, was staring at him beside the couch.

If Hong Chengchou, a big traitor, is not eliminated, Yang Chao will not be able to sleep peacefully.

So on the second day out of confinement, Yang Chao planned to return to the south.

Under the protection of the soldiers, Yang Chao rode a horse, Dong Xiaowan sat in a carriage, and the group traveled southward slowly along the canal.

When he was approaching the gate of the city, the more Yang Chao thought about it, the more wrong he was, and he still had lingering fears about yesterday's confinement.

It was simply too terrifying, and it was an unwarranted disaster. I spent a time in confinement in vain and completed a spiritual baptism, but after I woke up, I became a materialist again, and found that I seemed to have eaten a lot of food. Fortunately, I went to the confinement by myself, but the perpetrator was sitting in the carriage, and there was no loss, so it couldn't be like this.

When I saw an inn at this time, I immediately stopped the army, called out Dong Xiaowan, entered the inn, found a room, and immediately stripped her naked. In broad daylight, I kissed, bit, touched, and came again. An assassination training, just like a new recruit trying to pierce a target with all his strength, finally tossing Dong Xiaowan out of strength before giving up.

It can be regarded as an unforgettable lesson for this little concubine, but this unforgettable will make her never dare to come to the barracks to look for Yang Chao in the future, or she will often think about it, and she will not know if she comes here on purpose.

An hour later, Dong Xiaowan blushed, covered her face with a handkerchief and walked quickly to the carriage, and the group continued on their way.

A series of political activities were carried out in Huai'an and Yangzhou. They exchanged condolences with officials at all levels, met with local gentry and nobles, asked them about the government's governance, and exchanged business information with wealthy businessmen.

In the Jianghuai area, or most of the entire Jiangnan area, Yang Chao was an appointed official. At first, it was because the high-minded civil officials looked down on Yang Chao, and later it became that Yang Chao looked down on the civil officials with high eyesight and low abilities. Since these officials They don't do practical things, and their only role is not to share an extra share of routines with the small officials, so what's the use of them? Knowing, it is easier to stabilize the place.

So Yang Chao didn't want to see the civil servants who came from the imperial examinations at all. At this time, the civil officials started to look up to Yang Chao, and posted one by one to ask for an official. I have to say that this is the most shameless group of people, and Yang Chao didn't bother to talk to them.

Having seen the government management in the Jianghuai area, it should be pretty good. Although there is nothing outstanding, it is better than before. In fact, as long as it is not worse than that of Emperor Chongzhen, Yang Chao can accept it.

The noble gentry in Huaiyang had much less opposition to Yang Chao’s taxation than Su Song. First, Yang Chao had rescued them from the Qing army many times. These gentry were somewhat grateful to Yang Chao. Second, after Yang Chao explained that they also understood that if Yang Chao had no money, he would have no army, and without an army, he would not be able to defeat the Qing army, and if he could not defeat the Qing army, they would be slaughtered.Not to mention the massacre, they couldn't stand even the staking of land in Beizhili and Shanxi, so they all accepted Yang Chao's request for food from officials and gentry.

Rich merchants and wealthy Jia Na welcomed Yang Chao even more. It can be said that since Yang Chao came to power, they have been the most profitable group. After the tax, it can be regarded as taking care of them. They can forcefully reduce the tribute to the officials, and find that the officials don't embarrass them.

However, salt merchants, the largest commercial group in Huaiyang, have not been very happy recently.

They strongly supported Yang Chao's salt administration at the beginning, because they no longer had to be controlled by the government. They used to sell private salt, and now it is upright, but a very serious problem is that the price of salt has plummeted, making their profits less In the past, it was much less. Many people's biggest income is not the salt industry, but the bank business.

In fact, they have also worked hard, trying to unite together to control prices, but one or two can do it, and three or five can make do. When the competition team is eighteen, and they are divided into two irreconcilable opposing factions, the Huai'an faction and the Yangzhou faction. Sometimes, price control can only be a joke.

After Yangzhou and Huai'an negotiated the price, the two sides agreed to lower the price in private than the other party. As a result, both sides soon lowered the price. The alliance basically collapsed without control for more than three days.

In the final analysis, it is because of their excessive construction, resulting in excess salt production. Fierce competition is inevitable. In the end, it would be good if there are only ten well-run companies left.

They hope that Yang Chao will come forward and limit the price through the government's decree. They really can't restrain themselves.

Yang Chao is not used to salt merchants' habit of relying too much on the government. He immediately rejected their request, but said that since their profits have dropped drastically, the government should also consider their interests and promise the price of salt tickets next year. It was reduced to half, and they were allowed to work with only 5 taels of silver.

5 taels of silver is better than nothing for a big salt merchant, but there is no other way.

Yang Chao knew that fierce competition would cause them to divide quickly. Those who knew how to make salt would concentrate on the salt farm, those who were better at transporting would concentrate on the salt boat, and those who were better at selling would concentrate on Salt shop, the overall efficiency will increase instead.

The increase in efficiency will further lower the price of salt, and the common people will consume lower-priced salt, but Yang Chao found that he has nothing to lose at all. The Ming court is unwilling to do such a thing that can achieve multiple goals.

After leaving Yangzhou, I went directly to Xinjiangkou without stopping in other places.

Xinjiangkou has not been affected by the siege, even in the most urgent time, there are still [-] elite guards here, because here is Yang Chao's most important thing, the Jiangnan Bank headquarters!

The headquarters of Jiangnan Bank is currently in Yang Chao's Porcelain Palace. The Duke of Nassau couldn't bear to use it as a trading place. It's not that Yang Chao couldn't bear it, but because the business of Jinchai Building was shrinking sharply. After the small imperial court moved south to Fujian, a large number of honorable children in Nanjing followed. The most important thing is that the civil servants of the six departments of Nanjing, large and small, as well as the literati and talented scholars who lingered here in the past, all left. Yang Chao abolished it again. With regard to the music registration system, the entire Qinhuai River presents a bleak picture.

Although this is a loss of culture, if the culture is based on the absurd system of the music registration system, Yang Chao would rather the abnormally prosperous culture of the Qinhuai River disappear, just like he can't because he is worried that the production of plantations will be hit than the abolition of slavery.

Because of the downturn in Jinchai Building, the two biggest sources of customers, nobles and literati, were lost, and wealthy businessmen became the biggest source of customers. Therefore, at Kang Xiaobao's request, Yang Chao did not move the exchange out of here.

It just so happened that Jiangnan Bank was established and needed a stable office location, so they moved in directly.

The staff of the bank work in the lobby on the first floor covered with tiles. The third floor is used as a treasury. The second floor is still empty at this time. The hairpin tower was destroyed by a fire.

The loss of property was huge, but the loss of people was not much, because before the Qing army who set the fire had time to slaughter, Yang Chao organized a counterattack and beat them to the North City. Behind the Jinchai Tower was the Qinhuai River. After fleeing here, the fire threatened There are no more people.

Now that the Jinchai building is gone, then you don't have to care about her business. It is also appropriate to move the exchange to the lobby on the second floor of the Porcelain Palace, next to Jiangnan Bank.

In addition to Yang Chao’s Porcelain Palace, other industries in Xinjiangkou area are also very prosperous. There are densely packed warehouses and shops on the wharf, boats that come and go frequently, five huge waterwheels that rotate on the river in the distance, villages with little smoke, etc. .

On the contrary, the barracks in the middle look a little old, which doesn't match the thriving market.

After inspecting the barracks, it is now a huge production base. Except for the training ground for recruits, most of the places have been vacated for workshops.

Those who cast cannons, drill guns, and build weapons are busy.

The number of craftsmen here has now exceeded 1, but even so, it still cannot meet the consumption of the army that has expanded to 40. Yang Chao still has to purchase one-third of the iron armor and bird guns in the Nanjing market. , but there is no need to purchase cannons, because after getting on the right track, the molds are dried out almost every day, and new cannons are cast, and various types of cannons are generally produced in flowing water.

It has to be said that Yang Chao came at the right time. He met a craftsman who made an innovation. The chief craftsman reported the matter to Yang Chao, hoping that Yang Chao would make a decision.

"Give it! It's only 1 taels of silver, and technological innovation is the most important thing. Let alone such an important innovation!"

After hearing the reward, Yang Chao couldn't help being overjoyed, because this innovation was beyond his expectation.

The name of this innovation is: Iron Mold Cannon!
(End of this chapter)